This invention relates to cooking apparatus and methods for cooking. More particularly, it relates to methods and apparatus for cooking pasta.
For many years, pasta has been cooked in a basket which is at least partially submerged in a pot containing water. The pot is received directly over the burner of the stove.
After a batch of pasta is cooked, it is desirable to remove the starch enriched portion of the water from the cooking container. Since the starch is lighter than water, it will tend to float on the top of the water. Using the prior art pasta-cooking apparatus, cooks often used a cup to skim the pasta starch from the top of the water or simply removed the pot from the burner and poured the hot water out into a sink. This technique often results in the spillage of very hot water causing burns to the cook as well as causing the floor to become slippery. Furthermore, this technique of removing the starch from the water is labor intensive, taking the cook away from his or her other duties.
There is currently on the market electronic pasta cookers which continuously and automatically change the water in the cooker. However, this type of cooker is very expensive and, in addition, takes up a great deal of space in the kitchen. It is therefore desirable to provide a pasta cooker which continuously drains the starch enriched water and adds fresh water and which is inexpensive and which may be utilized on a burner of an ordinary kitchen stove.